


giving

by koganewest



Series: Keith Genuary [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Apologies, First Time I Used The Fluff Tag, Fluff, Forgiveness, Friendship, Gen, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, James Griffin and Keith Are Friends Now, Keith (Voltron) Angst, Making Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-11 01:02:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17436899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koganewest/pseuds/koganewest
Summary: James visits Keith in the hospital, and they talk of the past.





	giving

**Author's Note:**

> keith genuary day 24: james

Keith doesn’t expect a knock at the door of his hospital room, but one wakes him up nonetheless. 

Ever since his mom, Kolivan, and Shiro had gotten involved in rehabilitation efforts for Earth, his hospital room had been pretty lonely. Though he’d begged the doctors to discharge him, they adamantly refused, saying his head trauma from the fall was too severe. And honestly, they were probably right to do so; Keith still got incredibly dizzy at the slightest movements and often got nauseous for no reason. 

And to his great displeasure, the knocking doesn’t stop. In fact, it just got louder as Keith struggles to sit up, wincing at the loud noise. He calls out to accept the visitor, curious as to who it could be, and the door opens with hesitance despite how certain the knocking had been. Standing there in its wake is the last person he expected: James Griffin.

“I heard you were awake,” he says, trying to casually play off how intense he’d been acting seconds prior — it doesn’t work. “Just wanted to check up on you.”

“Why?” is Keith’s immediate response, mostly fueled by rightful confusion. At the blunt question James’ eyes go wide, and then Keith realizes he’s been rude. He decides to rephrase himself — finds something more socially acceptable than what’d he’s said before. “Thank you for checking, but why?” 

“Uh,” James begins, then sighs, straightening himself before sitting in the chair Kolivan had occupied a few days prior. Admittedly, it’s nice to have someone occupy the space, despite James’ obvious awkwardness and discomfort; sitting alone in the bed had been beginning to drive Keith insane. James looks away fro Keith’s stare. “I don’t know,” he admits, scratching at the back of his head habitually. He shrugs to solidify is point — or lack thereof — and just stares at Keith. “I don’t really know. I just felt like I should."

“But you hate me,” Keith supplies bluntly, and it makes James laugh nervously. 

“I don’t,” he affirms, turning back to face Keith — and that’s when he notices James’ appearance. He’s dressed in nightclothes that are disheveled and haphazardly donned: a old white t-shirt that looks at least one size too tight is stretched across his shoulders, now much broader than they’d once been; a pair of loose, Garrison-issued, sleepwear pants fall low on his hips. Keith’s attention is returned to James’ face when he speaks again. “Not anymore, at least.”

Keith raises his eyebrows at this, sits up a little straighter in the cot, and crosses his arms across his chest. “Really? What’s with the sudden change of heart?”

“I’ve done some thinking,” James begins, tone full of nervous apprehension. His leg bounces as a nervous habit, something that unlocks a strange memory within Keith. He remember James’ habit in class before an exam, in line before a sim, and most clearly, before their moving-up ceremony to become fighter pilots — a day that stands out as one of Keith’s worst. Before his reminiscence gets the best of him, though, James’ voice pulls him back to the present, “I’ve come to a conclusion.”

“Is that so?” Keith prompts mockingly, raising his eyebrows. It barely lifts the corner of James’ mouth into a smile before he dissolves into nervousness once again. The expression stirs unease inside of Keith. 

“I was a dick,” James admits — blunt, open, and honest, to the point that Keith would burst into laughter if the tone of their conversation wasn’t so serious. “I was a dick,” James repeats, picking at the hem of his shirt, “I’m sorry.”

_Oh._

Keith doesn’t know how to respond for at least a minute. He sits there in his hospital bed, head bandaged and aching, staring blankly at his childhood bully. Truthfully, he’d forgiven James when he tried to help him and Hunk, and he didn’t think James would ever outrightly apologize. In fact, he never thought he’d see that day that _James Griffin_ would look truly sorry for what he’d done. 

Keith must sit and stare for too long, because James starts to stand up. “I’ll just go. Forget I said anything, sorry.”

“No, no,” Keith amends and reaches out a hand, despite that he’s far from reaching James. “I was just surprised, that’s all. I didn’t mean to zone out,” he explains, sighing. “It’s no big deal, though. It was a long time ago, and as long as you’re kind to the people I care about, I have no issue with you — so don’t feel guilty or anything.”

“But I _should_ ,” James says, raising his voice unintentionally. “I _should_ feel guilty and I _should_ apologize and I _should_ be kind to not only those you care about, but to you, too.”

The adamacy in James’ voice catches them both off guard. 

“You didn’t deserve all the shit I gave you, Keith,” he lowers his tone to something more soft and apologetic. It’s alien to Keith’s ears. “I was a dick for no good reason other than my own insecurity. You never made an enemy of yourself; I made you into a rival, and I’m sure you wanted no part in that.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Keith mumbles under his breath, jokingly referring to Lance even though James won’t understand. He clears his throat, adjusts his posture, and regards James with the most unassuming and passive look he can muster. “But seriously, it was years ago. Don’t worry about it.”

“I just need you to know I’m sorry. You were suffering back then, and I knew it. I knew how bad you were hurting, and all I did was make things worse for you when I should’ve tried to help.”

For the millionth time that night, Keith can only stare. Words catch in his throat and remain lodged there, unable to escape and console James’ obvious guilt. He did have a point. When they were younger, James was ruthless and cold, never stopping to consider how Keith was handling all that’d been thrown at him, in addition to James’ cruelty. 

And yet, Keith found himself in complete acceptance with the apology — because James showed up on his own accord. He was giving Keith his trust, his reparations, his guilt, his heart. He was giving Keith his all and asking nothing in return. 

Regardless, Keith gives him relief. 

“I forgive you, James,” he says, and the smile on James’ face confirms it: Keith had done the right thing.

**Author's Note:**

> i wish this was canon. keith deserved an apology.  
> -lily


End file.
